Choices To Make
by skycloud86
Summary: AU-ish version of Day Three, after Nina has been shot by Jack.
1. Eye For An Eye

_**A/N - This is an alternate version of the scene in S3 where Nina has been shot by Jack. **_

There they were, the two people who for the past few years had played a deadly game that left others dead or injured beyond repair. Now the game could come to a close, and both of them knew it. As Jack stared at Nina, he urged Kim to leave him, to allow him to finally avenge the death of his wife. Kim, with a look of conflict and worry in her eyes, reluctantly agreed to leave. She knew what was going to happen, but to her, it just didn't seem right that Nina had to die, even if she did kill her mother. Walking down the darkened corridors back to the main office of CTU, she listened out for the inevitable gunshots that would signal the end of Nina Myers.

"You don't have any more information, do you, Nina?', Jack asked, although both he and Nina knew that the question was a rhetorical one. Course she had no more information! Why would she try and escape if she did? She plucked up the courage to plea for her life, showing weakness that Jack had never seen before and, in his head, he felt a strange feeling, as if he almost sympathised with her.

"Yes, I do", Nina rasped, her voice weak and pleading but her eyes defiant. A part of Jack wanted to believe her, but he knew that this was just another round of their game. He noticed her left arm moving slowly, towards her gun, and Jack's doubts vanished. He forced any feelings other than anger out of himself and stepped forward.

"No, you don't", Jack stated, and he could see the panic, and maybe relief, in her eyes. He was about to put her out of his misery when a figure stepped out of the shadows.

"Don't do it, Jack", Tony pleaded with him. Although any love he had for Nina Myers had died with Teri all those years ago, he knew that he had to protect Jack. protect him from the burden of killing in cold blood, from the burden of killing a woman he had once loved so passionately, then hated so obsessively. Jack's gun stayed pointed at Nina, and all three of them knew that the first shot could come at any second. Tony decided to risk moving closer and he tried not to wince when he saw the wounds on Nina's neck and shoulder. Looking Jack straight in the eyes, he racked his brain for the right thing to say.

"Tony, I need to do this, you know that!", Jack whispered to him, his gun still trained on Nina, his eyes locked on Tony's. He knew why Tony felt he needed to intervene, but he also knew that Tony had been through the same ordeals he had. Tony risked a quick glance at Nina's face, which revealed her confusion. She knew that she was most likely going to die in the next few minutes, either at Jack's hands or from blood loss. She was actually feeling slightly woozy, and it was taking all of her strength to keep herself awake.

"No, Jack, you don't", Tony answered him, soon regretting it when he saw a look of betrayal flash across Jack's eyes. Jack looked back at Nina and she was sure that he was going to shoot, before he clicked the safety back on, much to the relief of Nina and Tony. Tony walked up to him and gently prised the gun out of Jack's hand.

"When will it be over, Tony?", Jack whispered, his voice shaking.

"When you let her go, Jack", Tony replied. Jack looked at him with confusion before it dawned on him. He left the room, left Nina and Tony alone and walked back into CTU and didn't stop until he had reached a shocked Kim.

"Dad? Did you do it?", Kim asked. She was still unsure of whether or not she wanted Nina Myers dead, but knew that she had no power over it.

"No, Kim, I didn't. I couldn't, but that's OK", Jack told her, smiling at his daughter. Embracing her, he couldn't stop the smile that grew across his face.

"I let her go, Kim".


	2. So Many Memories

_**A/N - This chapter was inspired by OutCold. The story was intended to be a oneshot, but I've decided to continue it. More chapters might follow.**_

Tony and Nina were alone in the room, Nina struggling to stay concious. Somewhat shocked by the night's events, Tony stared at Nina, and for the first time in so many years, he didn't feel hate for her, he felt sympathy. Crouching down close to her, he examined the wound in her shoulder. Nina was in considerable pain, and Tony could tell that the bullet was still in her shoulder, but he was unsure of what to do. He didn't want to leave her there, but he knew that she needed help. Taking his phone out of his pocket, he dialled Michelle's extension.

"Dessler", Michelle spoke, and for a minute the events of that day, when Nina was arrested, came flooding back. Michelle had been Nina's replacement in quite a few ways, and it had taken them a while to realise their mutual attraction.

"Hey Michelle, it's me. I got Nina here, she needs medical help", Tony replied, his eyes looking at Nina's. Her eyes didn't look the same as they did in the interrogation room. The looks of defiance, indifference and anger had vanished, replaced by pain.

"Yeah, I'll send someone from Medical. Tony, about Jack, I'm glad you stopped him, for his sake", Michelle replied. She knew that she would never understand the complex relationship between Jack and Nina, but she knew Jack well and to her, the last thing Jack needed was to kill in cold blood.

Kim was at her desk, looking at her father. Jack was talking to Chappelle, and she wondered what the topic of conversation was. She was glad that Tony had stopped her father from killing Nina, knowing that it wouldn't bring her mother back. From what little she knew about Nina Myers, she was confused. Why would a successful, intelligent and popular person like Nina become a terrorist? It would make more sense if Nina believed in some idea, but she didn't believe in any idea except staying alive.

Nina looked at Tony with sad eyes, and felt as if he and she were the only people alive. There was no noise in the air, and they hadn't spoken to each other at all, although both were pretty sure they knew what the other was thinking about. Their history, their relationship before the storm that had washed away all traces of their former lives. Tony has loved Nina, truly loved her, but they both knew that Nina didn't feel the same way. Sure, she loved Tony in some way, but the relationship was built on lies and a way to help protect her cover.

"Tony", Nina croaked, her voice dry and raspy. Tony almost jumped as she spoke. He tried not to, but empathy sunk in and he took hold of her bloodied right hand.

"It's OK, Nina, try and stay awake", he spoke in a gentle voice, a world away from the angry tone he had spoken with during the interrogation.

"Why?", Nina asked, her eyes looking directly into Tony's, seeking an answer.

"Because Nina, for all the wrongs you've done, for all the pain and hurt you've caused, I don't want you to die like this, and I don't want Jack to have to carry the burden of being the one who killed you", Tony replied. He was being truthful - he hated unnecessary death, and his philosophy when it came to justice was far removed from Jack's 'eye for an eye' view. Nina could only manage to make a small smile.

Now back in his office, Jack was sat at his desk, head in his hands and deep in thought. He was thinking about the events in Mexico. His shock when he saw Nina for the first time in years, his confusion when she wanted him to kiss her. He would never tell anyone, but that kiss brought back memories, good memories and for a while he had even enjoyed it. Their relationship before he had returned to Teri had been passionate, but lacking in any true love. Even after they had split up, Jack would sometimes fantasise about Nina. Knowing that Nina did as well only made him want her more. After her betrayal, though, he had despised her, but such was the nature of their twisted relationship that they both knew that deep down, their attraction to each other was bubbling and the kiss had just been a veiled attempt by Nina to satisfy that lust, seeing as neither of them could ever believe that Jack would betray his country, cross over to the other side and reunite with her.

What little was left of the medical staff were now transporting Nina to Medical, trying to remember the Hippocratic oath, and that Nina was a material witness. Tony walked alongside, still holding her hand. Quite a few eyebrows had been raised amongst the medical staff at that. The gunshot wound had been bleeding badly, and Nina was now even whiter than usual. She was weak, and although she was trying her best not to show it, terrified. Nina hated weakness, and to be at the mercy of CTU when she was injured and unarmed was probably the last situation she wanted to be in. As Tony left the room to let the medics work on Nina, he knew that he had made the right choice.


	3. A Matter Of Life And Death

He stared down at the back of Ryan's balding head, horrified at the prospect of having to kill an innocent man just to satisfy a maniacal terrorist. Swearing to himself that he would get the bastard who made him do this, he readied himself to do the unthinkable and kill Ryan Chappelle.

"Jack, wait", Chappelle spoke, and Jack wondered why Ryan had to make it even harder than it was, before wondering what the hell had happened to him to make him feel that way.

"I want to do it myself, please. If I have to die, I would prefer to do it my way", Chappelle said, his voice wavering but determined. Jack passed him the gun and to his credit, Ryan put it next to his head and pushed it hard into his skull. He fought an internal battle with himself, before realising that he couldn't do it. Moving the gun away from his head, and allowing Jack to take it back, tears rolled down his cheeks.

"It's OK, Ryan, you are not weak for not wanting to kill yourself", Jack assured him, before pointing the gun at Chappelle's neck.

"God forgive me", Jack whispered, before he closed his eyes and pulled the trigger, and ending the life of one Ryan Chappelle, a by the book government agent who had committed no crime, hurt no person. Jack stood silently for a moment, before glaring at Saunders' men in their van. Remembering what he had promised himself moments before, he walked away, knowing that he had to stop the threat not only for the innocent public, but also for Ryan.

Back at CTU, in the Medical wing, Nina was resting. The medics who had come to replace those she had slaughtered just hours before had cleaned her up and now she was lying on a bed, her right arm handcuffed to the bed. With no possible weapon in reach, and with no Jack around, both she and the medics felt safe. They looked at her with disgust, and Nina was sure that they wouldn't rush to her aid if she needed help. Closing her eyes for a while was useless as all she saw were images of what had gone down in Mexico, and that had been one big disaster after another. She knew that her time was running out, and that she was lucky if they didn't just drag her down to the execution chamber by the end of the day, but Nina never gave up until the last chance had gone. It had worked many times before for her, and she was sure that it would work this time as well.


End file.
